Despite crime raps, controversies, high-profile candidates shore up votes

Despite pending criminal cases or petitions against them before higher courts, several high-profile candidates in the just-concluded May 13 mid-term elections still managed to shore up thousands of votes. Some of those votes were enough to put some of these individuals ahead of the competition —like embattled public officials former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia and unseated Imus, Cavite Mayor Emmanuel Maliksi. However, a few thousand votes were just not enough for the other candidates to make the cut, including murder suspects Cezar Mancao II and Bangued, Abra Mayor Ryan Seares Luna. Ahead of competition Though under hospital arrest for charges of plunder and electoral sabotage, re-electionist congresswoman Arroyo managed to get a commanding lead in the congressional race for Pampanga's Second District, with 129,565 votes based on 65.39 percent canvassed election returns. Coming in at far second, Vivian Dabu so far has 14,278 votes. Charlie Chua and Lalah Leonicio completed the third and last spots, both with more than 1,000 votes each. Arroyo’s plunder case stems from charges filed by the Office of the Ombudsman last July accusing the former President of "various acts" to "surreptitiously divert public funds sourced from PCSO’s operating budget for personal gain." In July 2012, the Pasig Regional Trial Court Branch 112 allowed Arroyo to post bail for the separate electoral sabotage charges filed against her by the Commission on Elections. Cavite, Cebu Just last March, Maliksi was kicked out by the Supreme Court from his mayoral post. The high court ruled that his rival in the May 2010 elections, Homer Saquilayan, was the duly elected mayor of the city. The high court's ruling was an affirmation of a Commission on Elections decision that Saquilayan was the winner in the 2010 mayoral race after a recount of votes in contested precincts revealed that he garnered 48,521 votes or 8,429 more than Maliksi’s 40,092. Saquilayan was originally proclaimed the winner of the 2010 polls. Imus Regional Trial Court Judge Cesar Mangrobang later annulled the victory, prompting Saquilayan to bring up the matter before the Comelec. In this year's elections, both politicians once more went head to head. And despite the disqualification blow from the high court, a partial and unofficial tally of the May 13 polls showed Maliksi having a slight edge over Saquilayan. Maliksi garnered 42,000 votes, while Saquilayan so far has received 39,794 votes based on 79.91 percent of transmitted election returns. Meanwhile, another embattled public official, suspended Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, is so far faring well in the congressional race in Cebu's Third District. Like, Cavite's Maliksi, Garcia is currently enjoying a slight lead over her rival Liberal Party's Geraldine Yapha. With 63.99 percent of ERs so far canvassed, Garcia has 89,749, while her competition has 85,596. Garcia is currently embroiled in a legal battle to get back her gubernatorial post, which was taken away from her by Malacañang due to an administrative case lodged by the late Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez Jr., who accused Garcia of committing acts of usurpation, including the hiring of employees, consultants and slashing the budget of the Office of the Vice Governor in Cebu. She currently has a pending petition with the Court of Appeals seeking to annul Malacañang's suspension order. Bad publicity? Unlike Maliksi and Garcia, the controversies hounding former police officer Mancao and Abra's Luna seemed to be sending a backlash on their electoral bids. Despite being a fugitive from justice, Mancao still managed to secure 32,789 votes (at 63.89 percent of ERs) in his home province of Compostela Valley in Mindanao. However, the figure proved insufficient so far for him to surge ahead in the competition. He currently is second to the last in the seven-candidate race for a seat as member of the First District Sangguniang Panlalawigan (or bukal). Mancao was implicated in the double murder case of slain publicist Salvador "Bubby" Dacer and driver Emmanuel Corbito in November 2000. A few weeks ago he bolted his detention cell at the National Bureau of Investigation to prevent his transfer to the Manila City Jail, where he said his life would be under threat. Abra's Luna, too, seemed to be suffering from a setback, on the heels of  Department of Justice (DOJ) findings of probable cause to charge him for the killing of Brenda Crisologo, wife of Tineg, Abra mayor Edwin Crisologo. In its latest ruling, the DOJ used as basis testimonies showing that Luna, son of former Abra Rep. Cecilia Seares-Luna, was "actively present at scene of the shooting, indicating conspiracy with other accused." The murder case is currently pending with the Bangued, Abra Regional Trial Court Branch 2. Mrs. Crisologo died after being shot five times on May 17, 2007 while watching the canvassing of votes at the Holy Spirit Academy in Bangued, Abra. The Crisologos are perceived rivals of the Benwaren family, three members of which (Lenin Benwaren, Pedro Benwaren, and Tony Benwaren) are among Luna's co-accused in the murder case. Based on 89.74 percent of canvassed election returns, Luna currently lags behind Dominic Valera in the mayoral race in Bangued. Valera has 11,152, while Luna has 7,566. — BM/LBG, GMA News